If you’re new to veganism, avoiding animal-based products might seem fairly straightforward. However, there are a few things you’ll want to pay special attention to. We’ll help you navigate through these ingredient lists so you can steer clear of some potential hidden animal products that may surprise you.

Whey

Often used in baked goods, whey is one of those words you may or may not be familiar with—it’s the watery part of milk that is leftover after curds are formed in the cheese-making process. Because whey contains much of the lactose and about 20% of the protein in milk, it has become a valued byproduct. (It used to be something that got thrown away!) Whey powder is a mainstay in many non-vegan protein powders. Combined with other ingredients in processed foods, whey conveys a host of desirable properties—for this reason, you might find it listed in the ingredients for baked goods, beverages, dressings and a myriad of other products.

Casein

Another milk-based protein is casein. One of the two primary proteins in milk, it accounts for 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. You may also see casein in the ingredient list as caseinate or lactic acid which sometimes contains casein. Some foods where you might also see casein listed are margarine, non-dairy coffee creamer, cheese-flavored chips and snack crackers, as well as baked goods.

Gelatin

Created from the skin, bones and connective tissues of (typically) cows and pigs, gelatin can be found in things like candy (think gummy bears), gum, capsules used for supplements and marshmallows. A vegan substitute for gelatin is agar-agar. A flavorless gelling agent, agar-agar is derived from cooked and pressed seaweed.
Whether you want to gather ‘round a campfire and roast marshmallows, or just sneak a few from the pantry (we won’t tell) you can try this Vegan Marshmallow recipe—you’re friends and family will love them!

Natural and Artificial Flavorings

You might want to err on the side of caution with this phrase when you encounter it in an ingredient list as it can be either animal- or vegetable-sourced. Listed in the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, natural and artificial flavors are both described as able to include “meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof”—a pretty wide window!

Vitamins and Supplements

Vitamins and supplements are a part of many people’s healthy living journey. As a vegan, you’ll want to pay a little more attention to the labeling. Found in many multivitamins, vitamins A, D and B12 can be derived from animal products. Additionally, many supplements come in capsule format, which may be made of gelatin. When shopping for vitamins and supplements, it’s best to check the label and look for those that are labeled as vegan.

Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce seems to show up in loads of recipes that you may want to convert to your new plant-based diet. The ingredient that will kick this condiment from your fridge, however, is anchovies. But fret not—here is a vegan version you can whip up in no time!

Beer and Wine

It might come as a surprise that some wines and beers may not be vegan. After all, wine is made from grapes, and beer from hops and barley—all plants! Yet, some beers and wines might be made with non-vegan-friendly ingredients like dairy or honey. There is also the question of process: Animal products are often used in the filtering and fining, or clarification process of both wine and beer making. These include things like isinglass (from fish), sea shells, albumen (egg whites) and gelatin. Luckily, this website contains a comprehensive list of well over 35,000 beer, wine and spirits, showing whether they’re vegan-friendly or not.

Carmine

A naturally sourced red dye used in food and drink, the most surprising thing about carmine is its source—a bug! For centuries, red dye has been created from the cochineal bug that lives on the pads of prickly pear cacti. Rich in history, this bug-centric colorant eventually made its way into modern-day food production. Some other names you might also see carmine listed as include cochineal, carmine lake or natural red 4.
Did you know? Broccoli, bok choy, chinese cabbage, collards and kale are all great, non-dairy sources of calcium.

Article by Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the Whole30 program
If you follow me, you know I love shopping at Sprouts. While my first stop is always the fresh-cut flowers, the rest of the store is FULL of Whole30-friendly products. So many of you have asked me about my Sprouts hauls, so I’m here to share my personal Sprouts Whole30 shopping list. But first, in case you haven’t heard of our program yet … what IS the Whole30, anyway?

Whole30: A Reset, Not a Diet

Think of the Whole30 like pushing the reset button with your health, habits and relationship with food. For 30 days, you’ll eliminate the foods that are commonly problematic in one of four areas:

Cravings and habits

Blood sugar regulation and metabolism

Digestion

Immune system/inflammation

During the elimination, you’ll pay attention to what changes in the absence of these potentially problematic foods: energy, sleep, focus, mood, bloating, digestion, cravings, skin, aches and pains, and more. At the end of the 30 days, you’ll reintroduce those foods one at a time, like a scientific experiment, to identify the foods that may not be working well for you. You’ll use that information to create the perfect, sustainable diet for YOU—grounded in new healthy habits, keeping you looking, feeling, and living your best.

Shopping Guide

Fresh veggies, fruit, and herbs; meat, seafood, and eggs; natural fats; and pantry staples make up the bulk of your Whole30 shopping, but Sprouts makes it even easier!

Melissa’s Picks

DNX Bars

Meat sticks with grass-fed beef, veggies, fruit and healthy fats

Applegate

Natural and organic chicken sausage and hot dogs

Primal Kitchen

A variety of salad dressings and cold-pressed avocado oils

Tin Star Ghee

Now in one-ounce travel sizes for camping, Airbnb travel, or on-the-go keto-coffee

VIEW SPROUTS BRAND WHOLE30 FAVORITES
And more! Sprouts Brand products are often great budget-conscious Whole30 options—just read your labels to make sure the ingredients are in line with the program rules.

About Melissa

Melissa Hartwig is a Certified Sports Nutritionist who specializes in helping people change their relationship with food and create life-long, healthy habits. She is the co-creator of the original Whole30 program (whole30.com), and a five-time New York Times bestselling author. She has been featured by Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and CNBC, and ranked #27 on Greatist Top 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness in 2017. Melissa has presented more than 150 health and nutrition seminars worldwide, and is a prominent keynote speaker on social media and branding, health trends and entrepreneurship. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Each summer is filled with picnics, parties and barbecues. Whether you eat plant based regularly, take part in Meatless Mondays or simply want to know how to incorporate more veggies into your diet, Toni from Plant Based on a Budget has two easy and delicious summer recipes to share. Gardein is 100% plant based. Their products offer great texture and taste to every dish.

Instructions:

Create a single layer of kabobs on a baking sheet and drizzle with BBQ sauce.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

About the blogger, @plantbasedonabudget:

Toni Okamoto is a purveyor of the plant-based lifestyle. She aims to spread awareness through her blog and has over 100,000 followers total. Toni has a plethora of recipes that can be found on her website and even more in her book, The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook. You can find her on YouTube as well, showing What I Eat in a Day videos and grocery hauls. Check her out!

How to Clean a Grill in Three Steps

This natural and non-toxic grill cleaner produced by food journalist, Kate Kordsmeier of Root + Revel, is a must during summer! Homemade grill cleaner is not only safer and cheaper, but also makes a perfect Father’s Day gift. You just need four natural ingredients (no harmful ammonia) to clean your grill grates, improve taste, reduce gas expenses and prevent rust!

You’ll need:

1 Tbsp. Baking soda

1 Tbsp. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds

1 Tbsp. Cleaning vinegar (can substitute distilled white vinegar)

1 ball Aluminum foil, or grill brush if preferred)

2 Tbsp. Sprouts Avocado Oil Spray

Instructions:

Fill a shallow tin (I recommend an aluminum baking tin) with boiling water and stick it in the lit grill. Close the lid and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen any dirt, grime and stuck on food. Remove water pan and turn off heat when ready to clean.

Meanwhile, combine baking soda and Sal Suds with 12 ounces of warm water. Pour into a glass bottle fitted with a sprayer and add vinegar. Gently swirl to combine. Spray cleaning mixture onto grill to thoroughly coat the grates. Ball up aluminum foil until it’s the size of a baseball and scour the grill to clean. If you prefer a grill brush, that works great too.

Once the grill is clean, spray avocado oil onto a paper towel and give your grill a quick wipe over to stop it from rusting and season it for future use.

Meet Our Food Blogger

Kate Kordsmeier is a food journalist and restaurant reporter turned real food expert after her own chronic health issues (PCOS, Hypothyroidism + IBS/Leaky Gut) catapulted her into a long journey of trying to heal her body naturally. Today, she blogs full-time over at Root + Revel, a natural living site helping people strike the balance between good and good for you.

Still searching for a last minute Father’s Day gift? Check out these DIY gift baskets your dad will love!

Father’s Day is coming up fast, and you may still be looking for the perfect gift for dad. A gift basket personalized just for him is a great, practical gift any dad would be excited to receive. Get some inspiration from these easy, DIY gift basket ideas created by our friends at Fresh Mommy Blog; Food, Pleasure & Health; and Root + Revel!

While dads might not purchase pampering items for themselves, it doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy a manly pampering gift basket, or a “man-pering” basket! Impress dad with natural products that smell incredible and give him the gift of taking his morning routine up to the next level.

Supplies:

From the grocery section:

Lucky Jack and Sumptown Cold Brew Coffee

Tillamook Country Smoker Beef Jerky

From the body care section:

Cologne – Dusk by Herban Cowboy

Aftershave – Dusk by Herban Cowboy

Beard Oil – Bull Dog

Soap –The Grandpa Soap Pine Bar

Razor – Every Man Jack

Deodorant – Dusk by Herban Cowboy

Body brush or natural sponge – Bass Brushes

From a craft store:

Bucket

Instructions:

Start with a color theme! Choosing a color theme really completes the overall look of the gift. While browsing the bath and personal care aisles of Sprouts, the masculine, neutral color theme of black and brown popped, not only because so many of the men’s products fell into this color range, but I truly loved the packaging and the scents.

Gather any items that would make dad feel special, and don’t forget the little touches that he might not purchase for himself. A cologne is a top gift for dads, as well as shaving products. Add some soap and deodorant, as well as a body scrubber, to complete his pampering routine.

Next, it’s time to add a few extra treats. I stuck with a masculine theme, and our color scheme as well, and went for beef jerky.

Don’t forget something to drink! What does the dad in your life love to drink? You could find a good beer, and I love that Sprouts stocks their beer section with local brews, so there’s always something new to discover. Is dad a coffee drinker? There are some amazing cold brew available, too. Whatever you choose, try and stick with the color theme.

Choose an unexpected container to use as a gift basket! A tool box or wooden tool chest, a cooler or an ice bucket… the list goes on and on. A great container is like a gift in itself.

Once you’ve settled on a container, load it up with the goods and some shredded paper, which helps with the natural masculine feel, keeping in mind height and placement.

This Father’s Day, instead of picking just one gift for your mindful man, how about putting together a fun collection of delicious, yet healthy, foods and practical personal care products that he is bound to love?

Supplies:

From the grocery section:

Hope Foods Buffalo Blue Hummus

Sprouts Organic Blue Corn Chips

Surf Sweets Organic Candy

Sprouts Organic Pink Salt Popcorn with Coconut Oil

Sprouts Organic Salt + Vinegar Chips

Sprouts Organic Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Sprouts Thai Chili Beef Jerky

Wild Tonic Blackberry Mint Jun Kombucha

La Colombe Draft Latte in Vanilla and Mocha

From the body care section:

Dr. Bronner’s Shaving soap

EveryOne soap for Every Man

EO Lotion for Men

Badger Anti-Bug Balm

Badger Beard Oil

Sprouts Salt Stone Deodorant

Gaia Herbs Male Libido Supplement

Instructions:

Rather than using a girly gift basket that the Father in your life will likely toss or forget about entirely, wrap all these healthy goodies up in something they’ll actually use. I opted for a veggie grill wok because what dad doesn’t love to grill?

Matcha Butter Latte

Whether you’re looking for a breakfast booster, coffee alternative or an afternoon pick me up, you’ve found just the right drink to hit the spot! This drink will be a new favorite of yours. It works great as a latte and is even refreshing when blended with ice.

Benefits of matcha:

Can boost energy, mood and metabolism, all while tasting good!

Is packed with antioxidants

Supports higher levels of concentration

Ingredients:

1 tsp. matcha

1 Tbsp. Vital Farms Butter

1 Tbsp. MCT oil or coconut oil

2 Tbsp. collagen powder or vanilla protein

1 squirt vanilla Stevia

Dash of cinnamon

6-8 oz. unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together until blended into a puree.

Tip: Remix your drink by adding ice to make it a little cooler or add another teaspoon of greens powder for an easy way to get those greens in!

Egg Fried “Rice”

This is a simple recipe you can use to improve your vegetable intake. It provides a very satisfying alternative to the typical starch base, using a sweet potato instead of rice!

Ingredients:

2 Vital Farms Pasture-Raised Eggs

1 medium sweet potato or 2 small/medium parsnips

1 Tbsp. Vital Farms Butter

1/2 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. coconut aminos

Dash of Himalayan sea salt

Directions:

Preheat a medium-sized sauce pan on medium-high.

Rinse and chop potato or parsnips. Use a food processor to chop into rice-sized pieces. It works best to pulse about five times for about two seconds each time. A subtle shake can help break the pieces up evenly. Depending on the size of your processor, you may need to do a couple runs.

Toss chopped vegetables into the sauce pan and use with a wooden spoon to slightly toast without oil or butter for three minutes.

As a consumer, every purchase you make is a vote within the market place. You have the ability to influence not only which products you see on shelves, but also where those products come from and how they’re made. When you choose fair trade products and ingredients, you help improve the lives of farmers, farm-workers, producers and their families.
World Fair Trade Day is May 12th this year. A global celebration of fair trade, it brings together thousands of people who are committed to building healthy and sustainable communities worldwide. Vote for positive change this May and every day when you purchase dedicated fair trade brands.

Need a last minute Mother’s Day gift? Look no further than these DIY gift baskets your mom will love!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and you may be rushing to find the perfect gift for mom. A gift basket made by you is a thoughtful, practical and personalized gift that any mother in your life will cherish. Check out these easy, DIY gift basket ideas created by our friends at Fresh Mommy Blog; Food, Pleasure & Health; and One Lovely Life!

Instructions:

Start with a color theme! While browsing the bath and beauty aisles of Sprouts, I landed on the theme of blush and vanilla. The Nubian Heritage bottles were pretty, and the perfect start to our themed basket. The product also smelled fantastic!

Gather any items that would make bath-time a pampering and relaxing experience. In keeping with the vanilla theme, the Tru Mélange candle fit right in. The pumice stone and brush combo matched, and so did the oatmeal soap.

Next, it was time to add a few extra treats. Chocolates are definitely part of a pampering experience, and I picked up a couple containers of various chocolates to put in mason jars to add to the look and feel of the gift basket. You could use goodie bags, add ribbon, tags, etc.

Don’t forget something to drink! Mom’s favorite tea, coffee or wine makes a great pairing for a night of pampering. Rosé is not only a top choice, it’s also a beautiful one! This bottle of Gérard Bertrand Coté des Roses was stunning and I knew the bottle could even be reused later.

Grab a beautiful bouquet to top off the basket, and you’re ready to go!

Using towels, wash cloths or even a robe, begin to build the ultimate pampering basket by layering the items so each is visible and compliments the others.

Instructions:

Whether you like it chunky or creamy, spicy or sweet, it’s easy to combine your favorite flavors in guacamole. While there’s nothing wrong with the classic guacamole recipe, why not mix it up with a taste of the tropics or pull inspiration from your garden? Grab some tortilla chips then get dipping with these five guacamole recipes:

Classic Guacamole:

Ingredients:

2 lg. Hass avocados, diced

1 Lime, juiced

½ Red onion, diced

1 Jalapeño, or more if you prefer spice

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 handful fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sprouts Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

Add all ingredients, except tortilla chips, to a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with Sprouts Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips and enjoy.

Fiery Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 lg. Hass avocados, diced

1 Lime, juiced

½ Red onion, diced

1 Habanero pepper, or more if you prefer spicier

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 handful fresh cilantro

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sprouts White Corn Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

Add all ingredients, except tortilla chips, into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.

Serve with Sprouts White Corn Tortilla Chips and enjoy.

Garden Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 lg. Hass avocados, diced

1 Lime, juiced

½ Red onion, diced

1 Jalapeño (optional), finely diced

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 handful fresh cilantro, freshly chopped

1 sm. handful Fresh basil, roughly chopped

1 cup Kale leaves, stems removed and finely chopped

1–2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sprouts Ancient Grain Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

In a mortar or large bowl, mash avocado using pestle or fork.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the chips.

Serve with Sprouts Ancient Grain Tortilla Chips and enjoy.

Tropical Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 lg. Hass avocados, diced

1 Lime, juiced

½ Red onion, diced

1 Jalapeño (optional), finely diced

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 handful fresh cilantro, freshly chopped

1 cup Pineapple, diced

1 cup Mango, diced

Salt, to taste

Sprouts Plantain Chips

Instructions:

In a mortar or large bowl, mash avocado using pestle or fork.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except for the chips.Serve with Sprouts Plantain Chips and enjoy.

If you’re looking for an easy-drinking summer wine, rosé is a crisp, lean, delicious and refreshing option that is easy to shop. Made all around the world, rosé is produced from a variety of red grapes with minimal contact from their grape skins, which results in the soft color.

Shades of Pink

Darker rosé may be slightly richer and can sometimes be a bit fruitier than the paler options, which may suggest floral notes.

Looking for something sweet?

Find one from the U.S., South America or Australia. They’re fruitier, sweeter and usually have a lower alcohol content. Italy, Spain and France will typically provide a crisp and tart wine with an ABV above 11%.

What’s Your Rosé Style?

A wine’s style is represented by its flavor, body and overall taste experience. For Rosé, there are three styles to choose from: